PENSIONERS MANIFESTO

PTowards a Pensioners’ Manifesto
For the first time in the history of British politics, the concerns of older people - through the launch of a ‘Pensioners’ Manifesto’ - will be placed at the very heart of the political debate. The ’Manifesto’ will be the result of the biggest and most unique consultation exercise ever staged, involving millions of pensioners and their organisations in villages, towns and cities across the country, and after months of discussion and debate, it will finally be launched at the National Pensioners’ Parliament in Blackpool on 18-20 May.

In the run-up to the general election, pensioner groups across Britain will hold local candidates to account by asking them to support the ‘Manifesto’ and publicising their &nbsp responses. With 11 million people currently over the age of 60 and a very high proportion of them prepared to turn out and vote in elections - the power of the pensioner vote should not be underestimated.
The creation of a ‘Pensioners’ Manifesto’ will help all of us in our efforts to create a society in which being older no longer means being treated like a second-class citizen. It will be an acknowledgement that the nation has to take responsibility for making retirement something to which all of us can look forward and enjoy - and it will identify the principles which all citizens can proudly uphold, as governing the lives both of present pensioners and future generations.

In short, a ‘Pensioners’ Manifesto’ will help take us a step closer towards dignity, security and fulfilment for all in older age.

Pensions and income

Since the index linking of the basic state pension to average earnings was abolished in 1980, its value has continued to fall by more than £30 a week for an individual and £50 a week for a couple. As a result, millions of pensioners now feel that their contribution to the nation is being ignored.

Despite Britain having the fourth strongest economy in the world, one in five pensioners - over two million older people - still live below the level of income support. Millions more are struggling to meet the rising costs of living through increased council tax and utility bills and many are unable to afford even the basics of a civilised lifestyle such as buying new clothes, taking a holiday or decorating their homes.

In the face of this, the government has relied on means-testing - firstly through the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) and now with the Pension Credit - to target extra money at those with low incomes.

However, means-testing is demeaning for older people who have to parade their poverty in order to receive a few extra pounds and ineffective at getting help to those who need it most because of the low take-up level.

Those hardest hit tend to be the over 75s; the vast majority of whom are women who spent years bringing up families or working in badly paid or part-time jobs. As a result, they do not have an occupational pension or enough National Insurance contributions to qualify for a full state pension. They, together with many ethnic elders who also suffered similar problems during their working lives, are forced to rely on means-tested benefits.

In spite of this, the government is intent upon spending less of the nation’s wealth (Gross Domestic Product) on pensions, from 6.2% now to 4.2% by 2060. As a result, we are likely to see a pensions poverty time-bomb for future generations.

Over the last two decades the value of the basic state pension relative to average incomes has declined, occupational pensions have become less generous and private pensions based solely on the performance of the stock market offer no guaranteed security.

The problem of financial hardship for today’s pensioners will therefore be even more serious for the pensioners of tomorrow, and a failure to act now will inevitably have a disastrous effect in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time.

These developments have inevitably strengthened the argument for a decent basic and second state pension - financed from the existing £22bn surplus in the National Insurance Fund - that can offer security, predictability and dignity to all. Taking action to do this is now the biggest social and political challenge facing the politicians.

Proposals


The basic state pension and SERPS should remain securely based upon National Insurance, operate to its original objective and continue under state control.
The basic state pension should be raised to the level of the Guarantee Credit - previously known as MIG - (£105.45 for a single pensioner and £160.95 for a couple a week from April 2004) as an immediate step towards providing a basic non-means-tested income in retirement.
The basic state pension should be uprated annually in line with average earnings or inflation (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater to enable pensioners to share in the growing prosperity of the nation.
Over the next five years the basic state pension should be incrementally increased to a level of one-third average earnings for a single pensioner and two-thirds average earnings for a couple. On current values that would give a weekly state pension of £133 for an individual and £266 for a couple.
The basic state pension should be paid to all of pensionable age, regardless of their National Insurance contributions and on the basis of enhanced credits to address the poverty and hardship felt by many older women and ethnic elders who are currently forced to rely on means-tested benefits.
The 25p a week age addition at 80 should be substantially increased to £22 and uprated annually in line with inflation (Retail Price Index) in recognition of the increased costs of living independently with age.
The State Second Pension (S2P) should remain earnings-related and based on the SERPS (State Earnings Related Pension Scheme) revalued earnings formula to offer better value to those workers, particularly women, whose careers do not conform to traditional work patterns.
Proposals to scrap the index-linking of occupational pensions at a 5% minimum and reduce survivor’s benefits should be abandoned.
The survivors’ entitlement to SERPS should be reinstated to 100%.
The entitlement to contract out of SERPS should be revoked, the £14bn tax relief on private pensions should cease and there should be no legal requirement to join an occupational pension scheme that lacks a guaranteed return or safeguards against loss of value.
The personal tax allowance for all those of pensionable age should be raised to £7488 (the upper limit of the Pension Credit) to enable pensioners to keep more of their savings.
The state pensions of those expatriates living in countries not covered by reciprocal social security arrangements with Britain should have their pensions uprated annually in line with those pensioners living in the UK and receive retrospective compensation.
The rules allowing for the state pension to be reduced after 52 weeks in hospital should be revoked.
The £10 annual Christmas bonus should be increased to £25.

Health and care

How we look after our most vulnerable and frail citizens is fundamentally a test of how civilised our society is. However, today our health and social care system fails to provide the comprehensive cradle to grave support through the NHS that many older people helped to create.

The lack of available beds and the decline of care services at home, has also given rise to a new political euphemism. Older patients who are ready to be discharged from hospital, but who are not well enough to return home without care, are now insultingly described as ‘bed blockers’.

To address the problem, the government intends to fine local authorities if they delay in discharging elderly patients - but this is only likely to push them out into the community without the proper care and support they need.

In the last few years, nearly 800 residential homes have closed, with a net loss of some 10,000 beds, evictions and transfers of residents to other locations cause suffering and even deaths and the quality of life in many homes is shocking - often with no serious attempt at rehabilitation.

Staff are invariably under-paid, overworked and poorly trained and because of the inadequate system of registration and inspection of care homes, a disturbing incidence of abuse of older people has been emerging.

Yet despite this, the cost of long-term care is escalating. The average charge is around £500 a week and every year, 70,000 pensioners have to sell their homes in order to pay these bills.

The government’s decision to pay for some nursing costs, but leave personal care costs to the individual has only made the situation worse, by creating an artificial dividing line between those illnesses, such as strokes, that qualify for some free care whilst others, such as Parkinsons disease, still face charges.

In addition, whilst 80% of older people want to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, many are struggling to stay independent because local authorities have cut back or increased charges on those services that would enable individuals to receive care at home.

As a result, more pressure is put upon the millions who act as carers for older people - many of whom are women as well as being pensioners themselves.

The most damning evidence on the health of the older generation however, rests with the unacceptable number of excess winter deaths recorded amongst the over 60s. Figures show that in 2002, 22,000 pensioners died of cold related illnesses. This has got to stop.

Like many people, pensioners are also concerned about the availability, quality and future of NHS provision due to lack of resources and privatisation. A comprehensive free public health care system is therefore essential for providing services that guarantee the most vulnerable members of our society receive the dignity, respect and care they deserve whenever they need it.

Proposals


All those of pensionable age should receive a free annual comprehensive health check, which should include a dental check, eye test and chiropody.
Good quality and affordable home care services and home adaptations should be provided to enable older people to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible. However, where residential, nursing and long-term care is needed it should be within the public sector.
All long-term care should be provided free regardless of the setting and the artificial distinction between nursing and personal care should end, to remove the need for pensioners to sell their homes in order to pay for care.
Individuals should be given legal rights against evictions from public and private nursing and residential homes when faced with closure.
All staff should be properly vetted before they begin working with older people, receive proper training in the care and rehabilitation of the elderly and receive decent terms and conditions for the important and valuable jobs they perform.
Residential and nursing homes and private subcontractors should be subjected to more rigorous and frequent inspections to improve the standards and quality of care available.
Cultural customs and differing religious beliefs should be recognised and respected in all residential and nursing homes.
Same sex partners should be treated in the same way as husband and wife couples when entering residential and nursing homes.
The Carers’ Allowance should be paid in addition to any state pension individuals may receive in recognition of the valuable work they do in caring for many vulnerable members of our society.
The Winter Fuel Allowance of £200 per pensioner household and the additional £100 for those aged 80 or over should be annually increased in line with inflation (Retail Price Index) in recognition of the rising costs of fuel and the importance of keeping warm in older age.
The qualifying week for the Winter Fuel Allowance should be replaced with a qualifying day of 31 December to enable all those reaching pensionable age each year to receive the allowance.
Legislation should be introduced to prevent the electricity or gas supply to a household where a pensioner or disabled person lives from being disconnected.
The hospice movement should receive additional state funding rather than relying on voluntary and charitable donations.

Transport and mobility

The majority of pensioners rely on the use of public transport to support their need for independence and to combat social isolation, but many older people often have concerns about the accessibility, affordability and reliability of such services.

Those with mobility problems and people living in rural areas are often the most isolated amongst the pensioner population, with limited bus services and inaccessible train and coach stations. Decisions relating to the frequency of such services and the planning of routes often fail to take account of the views of older people and their representatives.

For those able to use buses, the Transport Act 2000 introduced a statutory maximum half-price fare on bus travel for the over 60s and was welcomed by many as a reasonable first step towards free nationwide travel for all pensioners and the disabled.

Unfortunately, some local authorities have used the new legislation to withdraw token schemes in areas with inadequate bus services, increase the cost of pre-paid travel concessions, prevent cross-boundary travel or change the existing start times from 9am to 9.30am - often without consultation.

However, pensioners in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and cities such as London, Birmingham and Liverpool all benefit from free travel.

It is therefore now imperative that a truly nationwide scheme be introduced that would allow free movement across Britain, eliminate the current postcode-lottery in concessionary travel between the four countries and tackle the anomalies in policy between different local authorities.

Such a scheme would not only help combat isolation and loneliness, but would also increase the mobility and general well-being of millions of pensioners, help the local economy and be good for the environment.

Proposals


A nationwide travel scheme should be introduced that enables those of pensioners and disabled people to travel on buses, coaches, trams, tubes/metro and trains free of charge.
Alternative free travel services such as dial-a-ride, community buses and taxi-card systems should be provided in those areas where existing bus and train services are limited.
Legislation should be introduced to ensure bus and train operators improve the design of their stock to make them safe and accessible for pensioners and disabled people.
The frequency and accessibility of public transport services for pensioners and disabled people to and from local hospitals should be improved.
Timetables and other travel information should be available in a format that is easily accessible - particularly to those with visual impairments.

Neighbourhood and community

The quality of older people’s lives is not only affected by their income and health - but also by the environment of the area in which they live.

Nearly one in five older people live in housing that is structurally unfit or in bad repair. A further 70% of older households don’t have central heating and feel the cold. Those in areas with high levels of poverty and poor housing often experience the worse problems.

In addition, the erosion of public services and amenities in both urban and rural areas inevitably has a disproportionate impact on pensioners, who often do not have access to private transport. Life is made very difficult if local high street pharmacies and post offices are closed or re-located to out of town shopping centres.

The availability and quality of public toilets, public seating, dropped curbs and even pavements are also important aspects of creating a more comfortable lifestyle, along with access to social and cultural facilities.

The fear of crime often, more than actual crime, can also make older people feel unsafe in their communities and the need for adequate street lighting and local warden patrols are important factors in giving pensioners peace of mind.

The funding of essential local services should be the responsibility of the nation as a whole and not depend upon the prosperity of the particular locality, but under the current system, pensioners are receiving council tax bills greatly in excess of inflation which they cannot afford to meet. As a result, many are now faced with the prospect of having to cut back on their essential weekly outgoings or move from homes they have created over their working lives.

Proposals


Local services for older people should be properly funded through higher central government grants and not rely upon local taxation which would be dependent upon the prosperity of the particular borough.
Pensioners should not be expected to pay increases in council tax bills which are unrelated to the increases in their state pension.
A range of housing options including good quality and affordable sheltered housing, co-housing and supported living at home should be made available to older people.
Plans to close urban and rural post offices and to re-locate pharmacies away from the high street should be abandoned in recognition that the accessibility of such local services are essential to the lives of many older people.
The basic state pension should continue to be available from local post offices on a weekly basis on the presentation of a pension book for all those who wish to collect it in this way.
Standing/rental charges on telephones should be abolished for all those of pensionable age as a way of improving security and combating social isolation.
Older people should be consulted and engaged in community crime fighting initiatives via Community Safety Partnerships, Local Criminal Justice Boards, Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and other partnership agencies - particularly with regard to crimes that disproportionately affect older people such as bogus callers.
Local authorities should have particular regard to the needs of older people in their provision and maintenance of public facilities such as seating, toilets and pavements.
Local authorities should provide well equipped and attractive pensioner ‘drop-in’ services and social centres which can offer meeting facilities for local pensioners’ organisations.
Local, metropolitan and regional authorities should liaise with theatres, cinemas and other artistic bodies to arrange and promote accessible and affordable cultural facilities and events aimed at older people.

Active citizenship

Britain, like many other countries, has an ageing population. By 2021 the number of people over 60 will have risen from 10.8 million to 12.7 million. Yet despite already being almost a quarter of the entire adult population, many older people often feel decisions are made that affect their lives without ever being asked for their opinion.

If we only consider the value of individuals in relation to their ability to be economically active - pensioners will continue to be regarded as second-class citizens who are a burden on the nation’s resources. This has got to change and ageism must become unacceptable. Discrimination against black and ethnic elders or older gay men and lesbians must also be addressed.

The importance of engaging in society is paramount - not only for a sense of well-being but also because of the valuable contribution it makes to society as a whole - whether through participation in the public arena as councillors or magistrates, the work done for countless charities or as carers or grandparents providing unpaid childcare.

But the infrastructure must be in place to encourage this active citizenship. Older people must have access to education, information and new technology if they are to fully play their part and we should recognise that after a lifetime of work - all individuals should be entitled to a decent period of retirement.
We must therefore create a society in which the views of older people are valued, their contributions rewarded and their experienced respected.

Proposals


A National Older Persons’ Commission should be created made up of elected pensioner representatives to scrutinise all legislation with regards to its impact on older people and make recommendations to parliament.
All older people, regardless of their ethnic origin, gender or sexual orientation should have the opportunity to participate in national, regional and local decision making processes.
Core-funding should be made available to the National Pensioners Convention as the umbrella group for the country’s pensioner movement in recognition of the importance of a healthy and functioning democracy with an exchange of differing views.
Age discrimination legislation should be introduced to cover the area of service delivery both in public institutions and from private companies. It should be illegal to discriminate against someone simply on the basis of their age.
There should be no increase in the state or occupational retirement ages, as this would place a new burden on older people, particularly the poorest and those with demanding jobs.
Free TV licences, internet access and training should be made available to all those of pensionable age in recognition that access to information is an essential part of a pluralistic and informed society.

PLEASE NOTE WE MEET AT THE KEIGHLEY TEMPLE ROW CENTRE TEMPLE ROW KEIGHLEY NOVEMBER 5th 2007 1pm TO 4pm